Ordinary diners who take part in our annual survey each spring review restaurants and leave their feedback, but we also ask them to score restaurants from 1-5 on food, service and ambience. Harden’s then uses an average of these scores and measures them against other establishments in the same price bracket to arrive at the ratings published in the guide and online.

Snippets from some of your feedback may end up in the overall Harden’s review, noticeably they appear in “double quotation marks”. The rest of our pithy, bite-sized restaurant summaries are compiled by analysing the survey data and extracting recurring themes, looking at whether or not a venue was nominated in any of our categories – like ‘favourite’ or ‘most overpriced’ – and, of course, looking at the ratings for food, service and ambience.

The Harden’s ratings indicate that a restaurant is:

exceptional very good good average poor

All reviews are compiled from survey comments and ratings, without any regard for our own personal opinions, except in cases where restaurants are too new to have been included in the survey. If you want the editors’ view on new restaurants in London you can find them in our Editors’ Review section.

The Kitchin

Scottish restaurant in Edinburgh

Harden's
survey result

Summary

“Stunning and wonderful cuisine” and “superb wine” in a relatively “relaxed atmosphere” has won huge critical acclaim for Tom & Michaela Kitchin’s Leith warehouse conversion, where you can eat from a range of à la carte and tasting options. Its ratings were dragged down this year, however, by quite a significant number of diners who felt that prices are becoming “excessive for what’s served”.

Price

£111

£££££

Food

3

Good

Service

3

Good

Ambience

4

Very Good

* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Summary

“They clearly value great produce and know just what to do with it” at Tom and Michaela Kitchin’s Leith warehouse-conversion (expanded a year or two ago), which inspires many passionate reports of “outstanding meals every time” from its array of à la carte, set and tasting menus. The odd critic feels “the place thinks it is Michelin 3-star and charges accordingly”, but for the vast majority of reporters it delivers “high end dining without all the pretentiousness”.

Price

£106

£££££

Food

5

Exceptional

Service

3

Good

Ambience

4

Very Good

* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Summary

“Incredible cooking perfectly matched with a very extensive wine list” underpins the huge satisfaction with Tom & Michaela Kitchin’s “phenomenal” warehouse-conversion in Leith, whose ratings rivalled nearby Martin Wishart’s this year. The couple took over the neighbouring premises a year ago, and although the odd purist gripes about “distracting elements (such as the waiters’ kilts, the provenance map and handbag stools – attempts, clearly successful, to woo tourists!)”, the change has boosted the ambience here.

Price

£97

££££

Food

4

Very Good

Service

3

Good

Ambience

4

Very Good

* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Summary

Tom & Michaela Kitchin’s “luxurious and bustling” Leith warehouse-conversion remains at the forefront of Edinburgh’s culinary scene, while maintaining a “relaxed” style with “warm and friendly” service. “Tom knows how to make magic happen on a plate” and provides “stunning dishes with true flavours from Scottish produce”. “Maybe now they’ve extended into next door, it will be easier to get into too…”

Price

£96

££££

Food

4

Very Good

Service

3

Good

Ambience

3

Good

* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

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